Bag opening device



Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED. STATES BAG OPENING DEVICE Roland F.Keppler, Hope, and Scudder M. Mackey,

Belvidere, N. J I

Application October 10, 1936, Serial No. 104,966

3 Claims.

This invention pertains to a device for opening folded containers andmore particularly to paper bags, an object thereof being to provide amechanism for opening paper bags.

Another object of this invention is to provide a preliminary step offolding back a portion of the bag bottom on itself, and thereafter tocomplete opening the bag by a second means.

A further object is to provide a means for creating pressure on thecontainer at a point prior to the actual step of folding back a portionof the bag bottom to facilitate this particular operation.

Heretofore, it has been customary to open a paper bag of the flat bottomtype, by either using two hands to accomplish the desired result, or bya waving of the bag through the air with a snap action that causes thecontainer to be opened due to expansion caused by a sudden inrush ofair.

The latter method requires some practice, if not certain amount ofskill, and is frequently difficult or impossible to perform by theuninitiated person. If the bag is not constructed from strong material,it may rip at the seam, or tear at a place near to the holding point.

Both of these arrangements are undesirable and it is contemplated bythis novel invention to eliminate the above named objections, andprovide a device that will automatically open the bag as it is removedfrom its holding receptacle.

A more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be had from thefollowing description, and the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the opening device cut at A-Aof Figure 3.

Figure 2 shows a bag during one step of the opening operation.

Figure 3 is a vertical front view of the device showing the springactuated operating members.

Figure 4 is a top view of the bag in its final opening operation.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, a receptacle I, has a base 2, and apartition or back wall 3, which supports the various operating elements.A bottom folding roller 4, and a guide roller 5 are mounted in the sidewalls 6--6, and are free to rotate when frictionally engaged by a movingbag as it is withdrawn from its holding receptacle.

Side rollers II are rotatable on studs 8, pivoted on pins 9 mounted inthe side walls, said studs 8 having an angular portion I0, which ispressed against the side walls by action of the leaf springs I I, saidsprings being rigidly mounted at one end thereof to the sides by screwsI2. A bag supporting member I3, is held spaced from the base and sidesby grooves I4, which accommodate guide pins I5. A spring member I6having a tension twist, or spring intermediate its ends, is secured bystaples or other means to the partition or rear wall, on one end, theremaining end thereof being adapted to slide in an aperture I! of aflange I8. The spring pressure of member I6 urges the bag supportingpart I3 against the bags. This pressure urges a ridge or protuberance 23against the bags at a point lower than the folding roller 4, so that thebag nearest the 10 front tends to bend in such a manner that thevertical base of the folded bag is pressed against the vertical side ofthe block I9.

In operation, when the front bag is grasped between the thumb and theforefinger, at a point designated as in Figures 2 and 4, and then pulledforward until the edges 2I are free of the side rollers I, as shown inFigure 4, the bag is then pulled upward, vertical edges 22 stillremaining under control of roller I. 20

The spring pressure of member I6 causes the vertical base to be spacedfrom the sides proper, so that as the bag is elevated on its upwardmovement, the roller 4 comes between the bag base and the bag side. Acontinuous pulling on the bag causes the roller to force the top portionof the bag bottom back against itself as shown in Figure 2.

The continued upward motion of the bag causes the guide roller 5 tofurther fold back the upper half of the bag bottom, while the rollers Icontinue to remain between the vertical edges 2| and 22. In Figure 4,the final operation is shown where the bag bottom is about to impingethe side rollers I. As the bag base is moved upward, the rollers I causea strain on the base due to the action of springs II, and hold the baseuntil the upward strain at point 20 is sufficient to completely open thebag, and cause the rollers I to be pivoted upward, until the bag isfree. Thereafter the side rollers I snap back to normal position asshown in Figure 3.

While only one section is shown in detail, it is understood that anumber of bag compartments may be used to permit a single container toafford several bag sizes to be utilized.

A single spring is shown to hold the pivoted rollers in a normalposition, yet it is understood that a single spring member may act as aroller normalizing means for several rollers on oneside. Likewise, it iscontemplated to utilize a normalizing spring by securing parts I0together with a spring of the tension type, said spring being placed tothe left of the rollers, as shown in Figure 1, to prevent interferencewith normal operation of this novel invention.

Certain embodiments of this invention have been shown in detail, yetother arrangements may be and may become apparent to those skilled inthe art, and therefore this invention is to be limited only by the scopeof the subjoined claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a bag holder comprising a base, back, side walls, and a low frontwall, the combination of a bag supporting member located within thehold-- or and maintaining a series of bags between the supporting memberand the front wall of the holder, a pair of rollers supported by theside walls of the holder located behind and above the front wall and infront of the series of bags, a second pair of short rollers mountedabovethe first mentioned rolls, and spring means normally maintaining theshort rollers in a horizontal position but permitting said short rollersto be swung in a plane which is transverse to the plane of the sidewalls.

2. In a bag holder comprising a baseback, side walls, and a low frontwall, the combination of a bag supporting member located Within theholder and maintaining a series of upright bags between the supportingmember and the front wall of the holder, a pair of rollers supported bythe side Walls of the holder located behind. and

above the front wall, said rollers extending completely across theholder and being located in front of the series of bags, a second pairof short rollers extending inwardly from the side walls and beinglocated above the first mentioned rollers, and means for mounting saidsecond pair of rollers so that they are normally retained in ahorizontal position but are adapted to swing in a plane transverse tothe plane of the side walls.

3. In a bag holder comprising a base, back, side Walls, and a low frontwall, the combination of a bag supporting member located within theholder and maintaining a series of upright bags between the supportingmember and the front wall ofthe holder, an upper and a lower rollersupported by the side walls of the holder located behind and above thefront wall, said rollers extending across the holder, the upper rollerbeing of larger diameter than the lower roller, a second pair of shortrollers extending inwardly from the side Walls and being mounted abovethe first mentioned rollers, and restraining means coacting with saidsecond pair of rollers so that they are normally retained in ahorizontal position but are permitted to be swung in a plane transverseto the plane of the side walls.

SCUDDER M. MACKEY. ROLAND F. KEPPLER.

